Contact this school

Reviews

Woodbury elementary has been a loving home to me ever since it changed from El Camino. I graduated Woodbury in 2014 and I am currently in 7th grade at Jeffery Trail Middle School. I have gone to Woodbury Elementary for 7 years and I have experienced what it feels like to be a student there. The staff was amazing, kind, loving, and helpful. If you had a bad day you always new you could walk up to a teacher and talk to them about it. Educational speaking I felt that it could always could use work but the teachers always got us ready for the year ahead. The teaching staff taught information from the textbook and through fun activities. Everyday teachers would come in with a smile on the their face, ready to teach and the students ready to learn. The social aspect of Woodbury were good. All of the students learned how to handle social situations correctly and efficiently. Although there were and still are some bullies the Woodbury staff are working diligently to stamp it out. When I was in school I had two principals. Our first principal set a high standard and was always helpful to the students and parents. The new principal was kind and knew how to have fun. Even though he knew how to have fun, he handled situations that needed to be dealt with seriously. The after school clubs although not many were very fun. The musical happened every year and was always fantastic and our science teacher had an after school program every trimester. Overall Woodbury is a fantastic school and I recommend it to any parents looking for an all round school social and educationally.

- submitted by a community member

June 10, 2015

Woodbury Elementary School has a very incompetent principal who said he has over 30 years of experience dealing with children's education. In my opinion, his 30 years experience has no practical applications whatsoever.
The principal is incompetent, ineffective, incapacitated and incapable of carrying out his duties as an adminstrator. The previous principal, who got fired IN 2013 because the many different parent cliques had jerked her around and made her ineffective and incompetent to L.E.A.D. on.
The Irvine School District has a zero tolerance policy on bullying. And Woodbury Elementary School is the reverse of that zero tolerance policy. The teachers and administrators would look the other way while the kids that get bullied are frustrated and felt betrayed. You can see in the kids' eyes the simmering emotions that bullies can get away with it while the principal and teachers said "let the kids learn how to resolve it themselves". Seriously? Unreal!!!
Another fact is teachers don't teach. Most of the grading and teaching come from the volunteer school moms and the kids' classmates. SO YOUR CHILDREN ARE BEING TAUGHT THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME BY VOLUNTEER SCHOOL MOMS.

- submitted by a parent

June 20, 2014

Woodbury is an amazing school. They teach you everything you need to. The teachers are awesome. This school is very talented they have musicals, talents shows, and many more things. No one ever gets bullied at this school. Like I said before this school is amazing.

- submitted by a parent

April 09, 2014

Been with Woodbury for more than 4 years.... Teachers are extreme... there are GREAT and there are teachers who just don't give their all and it results to a year of waste for our precious children. I registered with greatschools just to post this: WOODBURY needs to control the PARENTS... Too much parents in the school grounds. There needs to be a boundary for parents. Encourage drive-up, pick-up and drop-off.. DISCOURAGE walk-to-the-room drop off. It's just TOO MUCH! Our children needs to be independent. We left Woodbury. We miss our special teachers and a few true friends. That's it.

- submitted by a parent

March 06, 2014

THE SCHOOL NEEDS REFORM NOW! You have teachers that don't motivate kids to think. The school has mediocre teachers that the district couldn't get rid of. The academic faculty culture needs to change and the only way to break that culture is to change the staff. The previous principal couldn't manage to change the school so she left. My kid went to school there for 2 years. I've complained to the principal but she didn't do anything.

- submitted by a parent

December 15, 2013

We moved across town -- from a highly-ranked school with higher API scores - because we felt that Woodbury's value system, energy, adoption of Common Core standards and academic focus were the right blend for our child. My husband and I both attended IUSD. One of the main upsides of this district is that children emerge with the ability to think critically about information, exercise judgment, and collaborate with others. As senior managers in both our professions, we know that THESE are the skills that kids need -- not the ability to memorize and take standardized tests. Woodbury seems to develop the whole child, academically and socially, and the teachers that I've seen are happy to part of such an engaged community. For the parents that are unhappy with their child's experience...volunteer, speak your mind, get involved. The staff seem open to ideas and feedback -- including the new teachers that seem to be getting a lot of criticism on this board. All great teachers were at one time new...there's not a single teacher I've encountered at Woodbury that isn't doing their best to educate our kids.

- submitted by a parent

December 06, 2013

Teachers in this school are either close to retirement or fresh out of school. Either way, they don't seem to care much about their students. There are barely any writing homework. I wonder if the teachers even knows how to correct the grammar, because they don't catch grammar mistakes on the corrected works.. My kids are losing their writing skills after they came to Woodbury. The fact that they cannot even be recognized as CA distinguished school tells a lot. The focus is definitely not academics. I am quite disappointed with the new principal who is very showy and has no substance.

- submitted by a parent

October 28, 2013

This school has wonderful facility. I am disappointed some teachers. Some are young and have 3 to 4 years teaching experience. And I do not think they are good at reading and how to teach the kids with the different phonetics. One surprise thing is that as a teacher she does not know how to respect parents. How can she let others respect her and teach kids about the Woodbury's values?

- submitted by a parent

September 05, 2013

Here is the issue in my mind: A school should ensure excellence in reading, writing, mathematics, and science. This is the core purpose of a school. Woodbury has many well credentialed teachers. It also has far too many students. Far too many for the school as a whole, and far too many per class. When you place upwards of 33, 34, or 35 young children in a single class - with a single teacher - you cannot realistically expect "excellence" in anything. I contrast this with my sister-in-law who teaches in Connecticut. Her first grade class has 18 students. Yes, she teaches at a public school. Woodbury (like many other schools) is bursting at the seams. Sad. Woodbury attempts to make up for these challenges by focusing on things like a school creed. I am not exactly bothered by this, but I think it is the job of a family to instill morality and values. It is the job of a Church to assist a family with these issues. Woodbury, for some reason attempts to address these issues - of instilling certain moral values - which also makes you wonder about "who" is attending the school and why the school sees a need for this - again, over reading, writing, science, and mathematics.

- submitted by a parent

September 04, 2013

Interesting comment below in the recent news letter by the principal as the API has gone down in the previous academic year. Typical public school attitude - no accountability and the staff doesn't realize their responsibility - just blame it on the students who joined recently. Most probably, the students who moved here came from better schools, and are demotivated due to the standards at this school. The program is not designed to motivate and challenge growing young minds. >>>>> " In addition, students new to our school, on average, generally score lower on the California State Standards tests than their counterparts who have attended Woodbury for a minimum of 3 years." >>>>>>>>>

- submitted by a parent

August 05, 2013

After principal was changed, it's not a good school anymore. Now they have over 1000kids, and I dnt think he can handle all of his work. He got sub teacher from 2nd grade, she was supposed to teach 2nd grade 3times of week (that's what we hear from school first) but now she goes just 1time and room mom teach kids other days... I dnt have kids in that class, but If i have, i dnt want my kids in that kind of wired class!! This school does change class every year but they dnt think anything about kids, basically they dnt care about child who attend this school, they just care of themselves too much, try to protect them too much. That's why woodbury elementary's score is getting low and low. Most of mom I know dnt feel any happy about this school. Why we are here bcz we can't move, that's it. You should stay away this school!!!!!!!!

- submitted by a parent

June 20, 2013

The 5 Stars are for the the wonderful Mrs. Marchese, who made 3rd grade an incredible year of learning and maturity for our son with her firm yet always kind & fair postive reinforcement teaching. We cannot thank her enough for making our final year at Woodbury (relocating to SD) a truly cherished memory and hope the school and her future students recognizes how lucky they are to have her.

- submitted by a parent

February 01, 2013

I couldn't decide between 2 and 3 stars. I would give it 2.5 if I had a choice. We moved to Woodbury community in 2012 and found it to be very kid-friendly. Lots of parks and school is within walking distance. Kiddos spend a lot of time playing outside during afterschool and go on a lot of field trips during school breaks. Can't be more happy about it. Now, not so exciting things. Woodbury is overcrowded. For the size of Woodbury community, they should have 2 elementary school to accommodate kids. There is another elementary school - Stonegate, but it is just as crowded and houses are still being built there. My son started 2012-2013 school year at a very advanced level. He attended an exemplary school at a different state the year before and I was looking forward for him to continue on the same path. Unfortunately, from the very beginning I noticed that he is not as excited about reading or writing as he used to be. He went from writing stories every day at his old school to barely able to compose several sentences once a week, This is what you get when there are 32 kids per teacher! I love the teachers, but they just can't keep track of all their students.

- submitted by a parent

September 17, 2012

The one thing I have to say negative about the materials/books is that the students are not given a hard bound math book to take home. It's very frustrating when you have to Google math questions to help your child get through their homework.

- submitted by a parent

April 21, 2012

If you want your children to have an experience that only focuses on s single aspect of education, then you can find that type of school. Woodbury isn't one of them. The creed of Woodbury Elementary is complex and thoughtful, striving to nurture considerate multi-faceted humans that are aware of themselves, their environment, and others around them. Academics are only one element of a larger system of humanity. There are numerous opportunities and a wonderful supportive community of parents that volunteer their time and resources, in pursuit of that goal. If that sounds compelling to you, then come join us.

- submitted by a parent

March 05, 2012

My son was bullied a lot. When I told the principal about one kid saying that he could have chopped my son's head off, she did not say or do anything about it. As I found out later from other parents, the school does have a serious problem of bullies. I think the attitude of the principal has a lot to do with it. If your kid tends to be an easy target of bullies, this is definitely not the kind of school you want to send him to.

- submitted by a parent

November 19, 2011

My son has been here for 2 years and we are very happy so far. Parents are very involved with plenty of volunteers. Teachers at the school and the on campus CDC center are caring with good experience. Fun environment. Great school. The teachers make it the awesome school.

- submitted by a parent

January 30, 2011

Woodbury is an excellent school with excellent staff and a principal who is caring and nurturing to the students and the community. My children love going to school each day. We love everything about this school, education is top-notch, extracurricular activities are great and parental involvement is everywhere. I am proud to be a Woodbury mom and would tell this to everyone I meet.

- submitted by a parent

January 20, 2011

I am trying to decide wether I should transfer my 3 kids from Stonegate to Woodburry. My main reasons are a bit closer but mostly the year round schedule seem more attractive. Any recommendations?????? Some reveiws are mentioning favoritisim and not so compationate teachers. What are your thoughts?? Which teachers should we stay from? My kids are in K, 2nd and 4th grade right now. Any insight would help tremendously. Thanks.

- submitted by a parent

October 20, 2010

Woodbury is an exceptional school. I would recommend it to everyone that wants a school with high academics, character development, and outstanding teachers. The principal has a nice balance of compassion and leadership qualities. My daughter went to ECR/Woodbury for 7 years. Each year she was treated with respect and was challenged academically. They prepared her to be a good citizen, have high moral character, and be a successful problem solver. I love her Woodbury experience.

- submitted by a parent

October 20, 2010

Excellent school with well qualified, caring teachers and staff. Students are challenged academically and focus is on the "whole" child. All students are provided with tools to succeed in the classroom and to be a valuable contributor to society. Compassionate and involved principal supports the staff and student population. Very involved parent community. What a great place to learn!

- submitted by a teacher

October 13, 2010

Woodbury has been the perfect school for my son. He is shy and timid in new situations. The school staff has gone out of their way to make him feel comfortable and support his academic learning. He has grown socially and academically in the last two years. I am so proud of him and thank the Woodbury team. Before school, I talk to many parents that have similiar stories. Teachers challenge students if they are advanced. Extra support is given to students who need it. The parent support is amazing. I wish I was a stay at home parent so that I could volunteer and join these terrific moms and dads. We are fortunate to have such great support.

- submitted by a parent

September 26, 2010

Yes, this is what Woodbury is--BELOW AVERAGE (except the facility). Every year I have to pray hard for my kid not to be in some teacher's class. There are 1 or 2 good teachers every grade, but the rest couldn't care less. Every Friday now there is this integrity pledge thing and kids are randomly drawn to win prizes. Is lottery the best way to reward kids? Interesting value system.

- submitted by a parent

June 22, 2010

This school doesn't focus on academic learning and personality development of the kids. I would rate it as very poor. We moved to this school in mid session from another IUSD school, but was surprised to see that they are far far behind. I expected some basic level in all IUSD school, but probably they are the worst. Here teacher is least bothered what the student is doing individually. They make kid a star for one week in a year. For me that is not enough, because that doesn't improve child's personality. It has to be continuous effort. My daughter was already reading fluently when she entered kindergarten. In previous school she was given more challenging tasks. But, after coming here she doesn't feel like doing something more. She has been demotivated.

- submitted by a parent

June 16, 2010

I am disappointed in the behavior of my son's teacher. She plays favorites with the students. She routinely puts down many of the kids in the class as she is teaching. She makes inappropriate comments and gestures about certain children. She puts her index finger up to her own neck and mimics blowing off her own head. This is in reference to how she feels about having to teach certain children. I've been told that there is nothing that can be done since the teacher is tenured. Not what I expected at all, especially given the school's stated value system.

- submitted by a parent

May 13, 2010

The staff are so caring and loving to the students and parents!

- submitted by a parent

no rating
May 13, 2010

Wonderful location, tremendous teachers, nice families!!!

- submitted by a parent

no rating
May 13, 2010

The faculty is extremely caring!!!

- submitted by a parent

no rating
May 13, 2010

They encourage my kids to want to be better people!

- submitted by a parent

no rating
April 27, 2010

great school with a wonderful staff! thank you for all you do for the children!

- submitted by a community member

April 18, 2010

The teachers are great, the kids are great, I love the year-round schedule, and the values taught help my child learn how to be a well-rounded, respectful individual.

- submitted by a parent

April 17, 2010

Great teachers+ great values + great parent involvement = great students! Everyone wins at this school.

- submitted by a parent

no rating
April 17, 2010

The teachers make this school! So do all the dedicated volunteers. So does the wonderful principal. It's a school based on values and education. I feel blessed that my children have such a wonderful school to go to!

I volunteer at the school almost everyday and love the community feeling I receive. The staff is dedicated to the well being of the students and truly enjoy their jobs.

- submitted by a parent

no rating
April 16, 2010

The principal, teacher, and staff are absolutely the most caring people around. I wish I had a school like Woodbury growing up

- submitted by a parent

no rating
April 16, 2010

extraordinarily dedicated teachers who integrate the values of respect, integrity, compassion, cooperation, positive mental attitude, perseverance, and intitiative as they teach the California state standards. Each child is 'met' where they are and motivated to grow in their potential through programs such as RTI and EIRM and a math approachthat encourages kids to truly understand concepts taught.

- submitted by a parent

no rating
April 15, 2010

The staff is amazing and really care about whats best for the students

- submitted by a parent

no rating
April 15, 2010

Great community support! Values are a big part of their learning!

- submitted by a teacher

no rating
April 15, 2010

Caring and amazing teachers! There is a real sense of community.

- submitted by a parent

no rating
April 14, 2010

Though we are at a new school site, this school has been around for years. The teachers and principal have kept the school's mission alive and unchanged since I went there 15 years ago. We teach the core values across all subjects: Cooperation, Integrity, Respect, Perseverance, Compassion, Initiative, and Positive Mental Attitude. We hold these values very high and model them daily. These values are a part of me today and have helped me be successful in my life and I love being able to pass them on to young students.

- submitted by a parent

December 04, 2009

Out of all the schools in Irvine this school doesn't come close to expectations. Good leadership starts from the top and this school clearly doesn't have good leadership. And there is special treatment here and a lot of politics being played. I would not recommend this school. There are several teachers that need to go.

- submitted by a parent

August 06, 2009

I Love Woodbury Elementary! I went to the school myself when it was El Camino Real. Like all schools you will have some so so teachers, but overall the staff seems to really care about the students. I wish that the students new about Mr. Bedley, the best Principle ever! He laid the foundation for the Value's that Woodbury instills each year.

- submitted by a parent

May 23, 2009

Woodbury is an excellent school. The principal, teachers, and front office staff are all outstanding! The school has a warm welcoming feeling that makes children feel comfortable and excited to go to school each day. The teachers are hard-working and very creative. They make the lessons fun and interesting...which makes every student feel successful and sparks their desire to learn. My children love attending this school! We are proud to be Mustangs!!

- submitted by a parent

no rating
April 19, 2009

Woodbury is a beautiful school but don't let it fool you. The front office staff can be touch and go depending on their moods. There are only a few good teachers. Definitely not academically driven. The PTA is not approachable and not crazy about the new principal. Tells the kids to stay off the grass (then don't put it in). She seems to respect the male parent more then the female. I have 2 children at the school and have been there for 5 years (yes when it was El Camino). Not happy :(

- submitted by a parent

October 29, 2008

We have been at this school for three years. This is not an academically driven school. There are only a hand full of good teachers. This is not up to the irvine standard just check the API's. This is very sad to say but this school needs a lot of work. And so does the CDC.

- submitted by a parent

October 14, 2008

This is a great school, the principal is new this year and even my six year old daughter told me yesterday how the principal 'knew my name, how does she do that', the principal is very involved and friendly. Our first grade teacher is great, she is interested in the children, friendly to parents, hardworking and I think has the right measure of firmness and kindness with the children. We are very happy with Woodbury!

- submitted by a parent

October 08, 2008

Be careful........The people in the front office are great. Most of the teachers are good, but know there are some that just want to pass kids along. Instead of putting in the hard work. And the PTA is not that great. I have seen a lot better!

- submitted by a parent

no rating
September 22, 2008

The Woodbury Values based education is the best in the district. The PTA is very approachable and helps run the school by providing funds directly to students and teachers. The Theather program provided by a volunteer mother is the best in Orange County. The children receive top notch instruction that money cannot buy.

- submitted by a parent

August 27, 2008

Woodbury Elementary is quite simply the best elementary school your child could ever hope to attend. From the brand-new beautiful campus, to dedicated, enthusiastic, caring teachers, staff and administrators, Woodbury has it all. If I could give a 6 star rating, I would!

- submitted by a parent

no rating
August 27, 2008

Woodbury has an incredible facility, wonderful, talented, possionate teachers, and friendly professional staff and administrators. The school has a positive energy environment not found at other Irvine schools I visited.

This school teaches at the lower end of scale. The teacher that my daughter had never corrected any of her written mistakes in the class. I had to spent time every night going over what the teacher should have corrected in the class. Teacher's priorities were elsewhere. Think twice before enrolling your kid in this school.

- submitted by a parent

October 24, 2004

Great School, 2004 4th grade class size 34 students. Two teachers team teach the class. One teaches 2 days the other 3 days per week.

- submitted by a parent

ADVERTISEMENT

Profile Completeness

All schools on GreatSchools begin with BASIC completeness, which includes important information like contact details and test scores. It’s up to the school community to take the next steps. As a parent or community member, you can share what you know with other families by writing a review or answering a few questions about what the school offers. As a school leader, you can upload photos, describe school programs, and more with an Official school profile.

The completeness meter moves to INTERMEDIATE, then ADVANCED, and finally HONOR ROLL as you complete the following: 10 or more reviews, at least 1 photo, and 9 program questions parents find helpful.